A Dunblane Museum Project CONTENTS Introduction 05 What was the Atlantic Wall 07 Who built the Wall? 08 Why are there Atlantic Walls in the UK? 09 Where are the other UK Walls? 11 Intelligence – finding out about the real wall 12 Hobart’s Funnies 14 The Anti Concrete Committee: what was their role? 16 What we know about the Sherffmuir Wall 18 Local Information 20 Sources 26 Glossary 27 Further reading 27 Acknowledgements 28 One section of the Sheriffmuir Wall as it looks now The concrete was reinforced with metal bars. 01 (2014). Laser scanning shows more detail and 02 The success of an explosive device could be will even be able to render the wall to show it in its measured by how deformed the metal bars were. original state. Image: Wardrop and Crockett Image: Wardrop and Crockett INTRODUCTION The existence of a replica of the Atlantic Wall on the Sheriffmuir Hills above Dunblane seems to have remained something of a secret for over 70 years. It has been recorded and listed as an historic monument. However, locals still seem to know very little about it. Some ten years ago the husband of one of our museum volunteers mentioned that he had been in Dunblane in 1943 working on the construction of the wall at Sheriffmuir. In August 2012 Gordon sent us a letter about his time in Dunblane. He apologises that his memory is not as clear as it once was: 49th Division came to Scotland in July 1943 for training in its role of assault division for the Normandy landings. The various units of its infantry, artillery, engineers, etc were located in all areas across the country from Ayrshire to Inverness, and moved around training sites such as Rothesay, Tighnabruach, Inverary, Dunblane. In late 1943, I spent three weeks in Dunblane with my platoon from 756 Field Coy Royal Engineers. 5 This is a solid concrete gun emplacement in 1943, in France. It gives an idea of the solidity of 03 the German defensive structures that the Allies could expect to encounter. Image:10905058/DPA Mary Evans Picture Library 04 These concrete structures, in Northern France, were known as ‘dragons teeth’. They presented an obstacle to tanks in WW2. The workers who built them file past in the background. Image: 10296234/RHL Mary Evans Picture Library 6 WHAT WAS THE ATLANTIC WALL? A series of concrete defence structures built along the west coast of Europe from the northern tip of Norway to Spain. Built by the Germans using slave labour, between 1942 and 1944, it was to protect against an anticipated invasion of mainland Europe from Britain. In the spring of 1942 this megalomaniac scheme for encasing all Europe in a solid girdle of concrete had one overall title: Atlantic Wall. 7 WHO BUILT THE WALL? ‘Organisation Todt’ were the German Engineers in charge of constructing the wall. They forced approximately 1.4 million labourers into service. Many of them were Prisoners of War, slave labour from occupied countries and others were Germans rejected from military service. All of them were treated as slaves and many did not survive the work. The installations on the sea front and inland together constitute an impregnable fortress! German propaganda Not everyone believed the propaganda. Friedrich Kellner, a German Official kept a diary. His entry for 25th April 1943 made this comment about the actual Atlantic Wall This will not stop the Allies. WHY ARE THERE ATLANTIC WALLS IN THE UK? During WW2 British Military Intelligence gathered information about the German’s Atlantic Wall – its size, structure and the materials it was made of. The Allied Forces knew they would have to break through these German defences for a seaborn invasion into occupied France to be a success. A great deal of effort was put into developing technology to achieve this, including specialised tanks known as “Hobart’s Funnies” and the creation of an anti-concrete committee. Vital information came from the French Resistance, and other sources such as aerial photographs. This enabled accurate mock-ups of the Atlantic Wall to be built in various locations in the UK. These were used for military training and testing prior to D-Day in June 1944. 9 This circular Tobruk shelter 05 gave protection for one man to crouch inside armed with a weapon. It is about 74cm (or 29”) in diameter - a fairly tight fit. This one is at Sheriffmuir. 2014. Image: Wardrop and Crockett Remains of the replica 06 wall at Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire. Unlike the other UK Atlantic Walls this is near the coast. Image: R Thomas Hankley Common Wall, 07 Surrey. A tank, equipped with a device called “The Onion” (or possibly “Double Onion”), carried 1000lb of explosives which were placed against the concrete wall. The explosion created a gap or ‘breach’ in the wall. Image: C Shepheard 10 WHERE ARE THE OTHER UK WALLS? There are five known locations of UK Atlantic Walls: 1 Sheriffmuir, Perthshire 2 Hankley Common, Surrey 3 Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire 4 Sudbourne, Suffolk 5 Shoeburyness, Essex There are probably more replica walls to be discovered. The remains of these walls survive today pockmarked by explosives and surrounded by softer fortifications in the form of ditches and trenches. 11 INTELLIGENCE – FINDING OUT ABOUT THE ‘REAL’ WALL The French Resistance movement was west coast of Europe during WW2. created in 1940 and they were asked by British Intelligence to find out all they could Duchez saw an advertisement requesting about the real Atlantic Wall. By various quotes for redecorating the Todt offices so he cunning means the Caen group collected presented himself and offered to do the work more than 3,000 documents which they sent at a very low price. to London. A chance opportunity allowed him to steal a René Duchez, a painter and decorator, plan of the enemy coastal defences. He hid was a member of the French Resistance it behind a mirror and came back later after in Caen, Normandy, where the German being given the job and retrieved it without Engineering organisation, Todt, had its arousing suspicion. He was the decorator, so HQ. They were responsible for building no-one took any real notice of him. the concrete fortifications along the The stolen document indicated very accurately the position of all the defences and how they were constructed. However, Intelligence in London were concerned that the German Engineers would change the design as soon as they realised that the Allies had got hold of a blueprint. However, Germany kept quiet about their loss. Using this important information the replica walls built in the UK were based on the actual German design. In London a special committee, known as the Anti-Concrete Committee was set up to look at methods of destroying these structures. 08 Left to right: Léon Dunis, Léonard Gille and René Duchez. 12 I really think we have something. I think this may be the most important thing we have ever got hold of. Colonel Touney, Head of the Organistion Civile et Militaire in Paris, on receiving the blueprints. The blueprint of the wall was smuggled across the Channel in a biscuit tin with Colonel Remy (a member of the Resistance). He and his family were hidden away in a fishing boat. False identity card of René Duchez was awarded 09 (Third Fool) Duchez. 10 the “Croix du combattant volontaire de la Résistance”. The two-barred cross was the symbol of the Free French Forces in WW2. 13 HOBART’S FUNNIES In August 1942 an unsuccessful seaborne Engineers assembled units of modified tank assault was made on the port of Dieppe on the designs. They became known as “Hobart’s northern coast of France. Allied commanders Funnies”. They were specialised devices to were forced to call a retreat. Amongst other deal with specific obstacles, including some problems obstacles on the beaches had natural hazards such as soft ground and sand prevented the raiding force from making good dunes. progress. It was clear that new models of tank would be needed for future invasions. The 79th Armoured Division were involved in exercises prior to D-Day at Castlemartin, In April 1943 Major-General Percy Hobart, an Pembrokshire. The replica German defences engineer, was given responsibility for many were attacked from the sea. In Suffolk of the specialised armoured vehicles that the villages of Sudboure and Iken were would take part in the Normandy invasion in requisitioned by the Army as a battle training 1944. Under Hobart’s leadership, the 79th area for the 79th Armoured Division under (Experimental) Armoured Divison Royal Major-General Percy Hobart. 02. Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart 1885 – 1957 10 Armoured Warfare Specialist and Military Engineer. 14 A Fascine - a bundle of wooden poles or rough brushwood lashed together with wires and carried at the front of 11 the tank. It could be dropped to fill a ditch or form a step. Concrete obstacles modelled on the German beach defences were built as a training aid. This wall is at Orford, Suffolk. Image: 0117-E1 Tank Museum. The Crab – the rotating The Bobbin – a reel of wide 01. The ‘black bull’ badge of 12 flail of chains at the front 13 canvas cloth reinforced 14 the 79th Armoured Division. detonated mines in the path with steel poles could be They had the nickname of the tank. Training in unwound onto the ground in of the ‘zoo’ or ‘menagerie’ the UK. front of the tank to prevent due to the odd assortment of specialized tanks they Image: 352-E2 Tank Museum sinking into the soft ground of the beaches.